Spring-seat.



W. LEWIS.

SPRING SEAT. APPLI UATION FILED JUNE 28, 1912. 1,062,597, Patented May 27, 1913.

HQ 4 n a i 5 7/ v 4' Q 7 WILLIAM LEWIS, OF UTICiA, NEW YORK.

SPRING-SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Application filed June 28, 1912. Serial No. 706,378.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Lewis, of

Utica, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Seats, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in spring seats of the class set forth in my pending application No. 692,611, filed April 28, 1912, except that instead of using a woven wire fabric covering for the springs, I have employed intersecting sets of separate wires unattached at their intersections so as to enable them to be properly adjusted in pairs across and upon diametrically 'opposite sides of the upper helices of the several rows of springs and attached at their ends to a marginal frame which surrounds or incloses the system of springs.

The main object is to produce a light skeleton superstructure or frame with as few lengthwise and cross rods as possible arranged so as to take the superposed load direct and evenly distribute such load to the several points as nearly equal as practicable over the entire area of each spring as well as over the entire system of springs so as to relieve the weaker connections between the tie pieces and rods from excessive strains by arranging said rods in pairs corresponding to the several rows of springs and mounting them directly upon the upper surfaces of the uppermost helices at diametrically opposite sides thereof.

Another object is to bring the tie rods which connect the main supporting rods under the adjacent sides of the uppermost helices at their junctions with the main supporting rods and to attach the terminal ends of the tie rods directly to the main support ing rods irrespective of the adjacent portions of the helices of the springs to form loops through which the main supporting rods may be threaded and to return the terminal ends of the tie rods downwardly between the main supporting rods and adjacent portions of the springs to prevent dis placement of said main supporting rods from the springs without actually attaching the tie rods to said springs.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan of a spring seat embodying the various features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same spring seat. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail sectional views through upper portions of the spring seat taken re- 'spe-ctively on lines 3-3 and l-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the tie pieces between the marginal frame and adjacent portion of one of the springs taken on line 55, Fig. 1.

This spring seat comprises a plurality of, in this instance three, spring supporting plates or bars 1 and 2 extending in the same general direction some distance apart for supporting'a corresponding number of rows of upwardly flaring upright spiral springs -3* having their upper ends adapted to receive and support a su perposed substantially flat skeleton structure -5. The springs -8 and their supporting bars 1 and 2 are substantially the same as shown in my pending application referred to and need not be herein. further described, except to say that their upper helices are disposed in substantially the same flat plane.

The skeleton superstructure 5 comprises an open marginal frame 6 preferably of wire running continuously around the marginal edge of the seat and determines the form and size of such seat and in this instance is provided with substantially parallel front and rear sides and rearwardly converging ends, the sides and ends being spaced a sufiicient distance apart to receive a plurality of, in this instance three, rows of three springs each running from front to rear, the springs being also spaced some distance apart longitudinally and transversely. This marginal frame 6 is disposed in substantially the same flat plane as the upper helices of the springs, the outer portions of which lie in close proximity to the corresponding sides and ends of the frame and are attached thereto by sheet metal tie pieces -7 shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

A plurality of crossing sets of separate lengthwise and transverse bars 8 and -9 are secured at their ends to the c0rresponding ends and sides of the frame 6 and their intermediate portions extend across and rest upon the upper faces of the uppermost helices of the springs preferably near the peripheries thereof, the adjacent bars of each set being connected near their junctions with the springs by tie rods -10 and 11 having their ends looped around the main supporting rods irrespective of and wholly within the adjacent uppermost helices of the springs.

The main object in supporting the bars -8 and 9 directly upon the upper surfaces of the uppermost helices of the springs and close to the peripheries thereof is to form a direct support for any superposed load and to distribute such load more evenly over the entire series of springs even though it may be applied to some particular point without liability of overstraining the weaker connections between the tie rods and main supporting bars. It will be observed that these tie rods are unattached to the springs and are brought underneath the adjacent portions of the uppermost helices and around the contiguous portions of the main supporting rods and their terminal ends are directed downwardly between said rods and adjacent port-ions of the springs, thereby forming a series of vertical locking pins 12 as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4: by which the main supporting bars are held against lateral displacement from the springs. This manner of connection leaves the portions of the springs which are interlocked with the tie rods free to move slightly relatively to the main supporting rods and tie rods, thereby avoiding as far as possible rigid connections between the tie rods and serves to reduce liability of crystallization and at the same time holding the springs and main supporting rods in operative relation to each other without liability of becoming disconnected. The main rods 8 and -9- are also unattached at their cross points which enables them to be easily threaded through the loops or eyes on the ends of the tie rods 10- and 11- in the operation of assembling them upon the frame 6, it being understood that the loops on the ends of the tie rods 10 and 11 are previously formed the desired distance apart and are then placed in position underneath the uppermost helices with the loops just at the inner sides thereof and projecting above said helices, whereupon the rods 8 and 9 are threaded through alined loops and their ends underturned around the adjacent portions of the frame -6.

The important feature of the invention, however, lies in supporting the rods -8 and 9-- directly upon the upper surfaces of the uppermost helices of the springs near the peripheries thereof so as to directly bear any superposed load and thereby relieve the tie rods from such load, thus permitting the use of relatively light tie rods of just sufficient strength to hold the main rods in operative relation to the springs.

Another important feature is that neither the main rods nor tie rods are attached directly to the springs and that each of the main rods 8 and -9- has two points of bearing on each spring with which it is associated as distinguished from single hearing points when the main rods are placed on the undersicles of the uppermost helices with the strain directly upon the tie rods at one point only.

It is evident from the foregoing description that although I have shown and described a spring seat for chairs and the like, the same structure is equally applicable to other upholstered parts of furniture in which springs are employed.

What I claim is:

1. A spring seat comprising an open wire frame, spiral springs arranged in rows within the margin of the frame, supports for the springs, a plurality of sets of crossing rods running lengthwise and transversely respectively of the frame and having their ends attached thereto and their intermediate portions bearing upon the upper sides of the outermost helices of the springs at two points of contact, and tie pieces extending parallel to one set of the crossing rods and connecting opposite rods of the other set.

2. A spring seat comprising an open frame, spiral springs within the frame and having their larger ends lying in substantially the same plane as that of the frame, supports for the opposite ends of the springs, crossing sets of separate rods running lengthwise and transversely respectively of the frame and having their ends attached thereto and their intermediate portions bearing against dilferent points of the outer ends of the larger helices of the springs near the peripheries thereof, and tie pieces having loops within the larger helices of springs in the same row through which the rods are passed, said tie pieces being unattached to the springs.

3. A spring seat comprising an open frame, spiral springs within the frame and having their larger ends lying in substantially the same plane as that of the frame, supports for the opposite ends of the springs, crossing sets of separate rods running lengthwise and transversely respectively of the frame and having their ends attached thereto and their intermediate portions bearing against diflerent points of the outer ends of the larger helices of the springs near the peripheries thereof, and tie pieces having loops within the larger helices through which the rods are passed, said tie pieces being unattached to the springs and having their terminal ends forming pins directed toward the smaller ends of the helices between the rods and adjacent portions of the larger helices.

t. A spring seat comprising an open frame, springs arranged in rows Within the margin of the frame, a plurality of crossing rods running lengthwise and transversely, respectively, of the frame and having their ends attached thereto and their intermediate portions bearing upon the springs, tie pieces having loops Within the helices of springs in the same row, through which the rods are passed, said tie pieces being unattached to the springs.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 24th day of June 1912.

WILLIAM LEWIS.

Witnesses:

H. ADRIAN SMITH, G120. P. BERGEVIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

